capetown, First Published Jan 14, 2022, 8:19 PM IST
Cape Town: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa (SA vs IND). Kohli said the reason for dropping the Test series was that the batting line-up did not rise to the occasion, adding that it was not his job to decide the future of Pujara and Rahane. Kohli was speaking to the media after his defeat in the Cape Town Test.
Before the series, there were many questions about the form of Rahane and Pujara. However, the team management fully supported both the players. Rahane and Pujara have played in all three Tests. Both scored just one half-century. Kohli told a news conference that the batting line-up should rise with the opportunity. There is no escaping it.
I can not answer in the case of Rahane and Pujara. Because I can not predict what will happen in the future. That’s not something I have to discuss here. You ask the selectors about this. Then you will know what is on their minds. “It’s not my job,” he said.
As I said before, I still have something to say about them. Both are supported by the team management for their contributions to the Indian team. We can’t help but notice that the two made a crucial partnership in the second Test. That gave us a compelling score. We consider batting failure to be not just about individuals but also about the team. But we do not know what is on the minds of the selectors. That is for them to decide. I can’t comment on that right now, “Kohli said.
Rahane scored 48.20 in the first Test against South Africa and 0, 57 in the first innings of the second Test. Rahane failed to score a double in the third Test either. Rahane scored 136 in three Tests while Pujara scored just 124. After a stellar performance in the first Test, openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal faded and India suffered a major setback.
Last Updated Jan 14, 2022 8:19 PM IST
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